


TMNT-Drabbles

by turtlefanforever



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2019-10-03 08:51:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,527
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17280944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turtlefanforever/pseuds/turtlefanforever
Summary: Drabbles featuring the characters of TMNT and the reader. Sometimes romantic, sometimes fluff. All just things my brain spits out from time to time.





	1. Evolutionary Skills (Raph)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raph and the reader discuss evolution.

I glanced over at Raph is his oversized comfy chair. We were watching some slasher flick from the 80′s at the lair; our Tuesday night tradition. Usually we would be cracking jokes and calling out bad plot devices. But I was distracted. I tried to keep my eyes on the screen, but my eyes always found their way back to Big Red.  
“What?” he said without taking his eyes off the blonde running half naked through the woods.

“Hmm, what?” I played innocent.

“You keep looking at me like you got something to say. So say it, not like you to hold back.”

“Well...” I hedged and fidgeted. “It’s just...I...well. Donnie and I were talking about how y’all are probably Red Ear Slider turtles and all. Then we got to talking about biology and stuff...”

He just stared at me.

“Well...uh...I was just wondering...”

Pretty sure he was burning a hole into me.

I took a huge breath and went for it, “Canyoubreathunderwaterthroughyourcloaca?”  
No reaction. A few seconds later, his brain processed what I had just said and his eyes tripled in size. “What!”  
“It’s...just...I was curious and all...I mean...that’s a pretty cool skill. I can’t breath at all under water. As a human, my evolutionary skills are pretty narrow. Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

He huffed, “No, no I can’t breath through my ass. Alright? Let’s just drop it.”  
I was about to respond when Leo came out of the dojo.  
“What’s all the yelling about?” Looking at Raph specifically.

“Little Ms. Curious wants to know if we can breath through our asses.”

Leo turned his eyes on me, and I instantly blushed. Why didn’t I have the power to shrink? Speaking of evolutionary skills, that would be super useful right now  
“I was just asking if y’all could breath through your cloacas like regular Red Ear Slider turtles. I was just curious about how much the mutagen changed your physiology, and what y’all retained from your original DNA.”

Raph began, “I told her it was complete bull...”

Leo interrupted, “Of course we can.”  
Raph and I just stared.

“Mikey was the first one to figure it out, but after a while Donnie and I caught on. It’s only natural after all. I never asked, but I assumed Raph eventually did as well. Right?” He turned to Raph.

Raph looked from me to Leo with an open mouth. He quickly regained his too-cool-for-school expression and shrugged. “Yeah, course. I was just trying to mess with her.” He stood up abruptly, “I’m gonna hit the shower, I’ll catch y’all later.”  
I watched Raph walk off and turned to Leo when I heard him chuckle. “Y’all can’t breath through your tails, can you?” I asked.

“Don’t know, never tried. But I don’t think so, and it’s hilarious knowing that Raph is in the tub right now trying. I’ll let Mikey and Donnie in on the joke later so we can keep this up for a while.” He walked back into the dojo.

To no one in particular I whispered, “Sometimes Leo, you’re terrifying.”


	2. Philosophy (Leo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo helps reader with philosophy.

You were taking a graduate course in philosophy, and you were constantly pissed off. You had to take a stress ball with you to class and were mainlining chamomile tea. In your head, you had come to refer to Aristotle as “That bitch-ass hoe” and Nietzsche as “That other bitch-ass hoe”. While your professor raves about the former’s virtue ethics, all you could think about was the part in book 2 of Generation of Animals when Aristotle writes “For the female is like a deformity of the male”. You sit there and pretend to be interested in Nietzsche’s genocidal Will-to-Power in the age of modernity, but keep thinking about his comment in Beyond Good and Evil: “when a woman has scholarly inclinations there is usually something wrong with her sexuality”. How can this be okay? How is it that your suppose to suck down these “words of wisdom” from people who think you’re nothing? That you don’t matter? That you’re a monster?

You had come over to the lair thinking a change of environment would soothe your nerves, but nothing could extinguish the simmering rage you constantly felt lately. You heaved a sigh and tossed the book down to go make another cup of chamomile tea. Heading to the kitchen, you could at least take solace in the the ambiance. The thud, thud of Raph killing another punching bag, the “Yes! Yes!…No!” of Mikey playing his video game, and the various grinds, clanks, and whirls of Donnie working in his lab.

You put another pot of water to boil and slumped over the counter. “Ughhhhh!”

“Something wrong?”

“Eep!” you jumped back. Leo stood in front of you with a worried look.

“Don’t do that Leo! Seriously, y’all are gonna give me a heart attack one of these days. I know you’re a super secret stealthy ninja, but could you at least send me a text to let me know you’re coming or have Mikey herald your approach with a trumpet?”

He frowned and stepped closer, “Are you okay? What’s up?” 

You sighed and looked away. It would sound so stupid, you knew it would. Compared to the life and death edge the turtles live on every day, your life is a privileged walk in the park filled with gum drop lined streets. 

Leo put his hand on your shoulder and said, “Whatever it is, no matter what you might think, I care. Even if it’s something small, it must mean a lot to you to have you this upset. You’re important to me, and it matters that you can tell me anything. Please, what’s wrong?”

You sniffled and opened your eyes wider to keep the tears from falling. “It’s just, I have to read all the stuff for a philosophy course I’m taking. Most of it is okay. Difficult sometimes, but I get through it. But it bothers me that embedded in everything is the underlying message that women are deformed monsters. That we don’t matter because we can’t be men. All this talk about logic, reason, and willpower is just a cover for the dark reality that men rule the world and they’ll use whatever justification they have to normalize that. So day after day, I’m sitting in a class with mostly white men and everybody is nodding like this stuff is the most enlightened thought to have ever come out of a human mind. But I’m sitting there thinking, what a second, don’t y’all see what’s happening? How come I’m the only one uncomfortable? How come I’m the only one that feels threatened?” While you were talking, tears had started streaming down your face and you used your sleeve to wipe them. “Stupid, huh? Getting insulted by a bunch of dead white guys? I’m mean, my colleagues are okay. They didn’t do anything wrong. So it’s just me, right?”

Leo kneeled down to hug you. “No, it’s not stupid. You are not a monster, and you have every right to be upset. It sounds like you don’t feel safe enough to speak, and that’s not okay. Have you brought up your thoughts in class, or talked to the professor?”

You hugged Leo back and nestled your head into his neck. You hadn’t felt comfortable in a long time, and he made you feel so safe you never wanted to let go. “No, it just never seems relevant and I don’t want to make waves. I don’t want to be ‘that girl’”. 

He gave you a squeeze, “If by ‘that girl’, you mean a strong woman who stands up for herself and points out other people’s bullshit, then you are definitely that girl.”

You pulled back, “Did you just swear?”

He smiled, “Maybe.”

You smiled too, “I wish I could be brave like you, but I’m not a giant mutated turtle with two swords and years of ninja training.” You sighed, “I guess maybe I could talk with the professor during his office hours and let him know my concerns, then go from there.”

“See?” he said. “You are definitely that girl.”

You laughed and went in for another hug, “Thanks Leo.”

A few days later:

You caught Leo as he was finishing training for the day. 

“I did it, I talked to my professor.”

He turned after putting up his swords. “How did it go?”

“Actually, really well. He thought my concerns were valid and that the whole class should be a part of the discussion. Can philosophy be separated from the philosopher? Can content exist without context? How can postmodern philosophy be inclusive if its foundation has been historically exclusive? So he’s invited a feminist scholar to the next class, and in his words ‘we will endeavor to construct a complete picture from which to discovery truth”. 

Leo beamed with pride, “That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you! I knew you could do it.”

“I couldn’t have done it without your encouragement,” you grabbed the rim of his shell and pulled him down to give him a kiss on the cheek. 

His skin felt cool and pebbly. Your lips lingered, and you heard him stop breathing. You let go and took out a small bag from your purse. “I bought some new tea. I thought as a thank you, we could try it and talk some philosophy.”

He straightened, “Th…that…uh…yeah, that would be great.”

You grabbed his hand and started to walk to the kitchen. 

You couldn’t see it, but Leo looked down at you like he was seeing you for the first time. The proud warmth in his heart had spread to the spot where you kissed him, and his hand tingled where your skin touched his. He had never felt like this before. Butterflies fluttered in his shell and he suddenly felt very awake. As he followed you, he wondered what else the future had in store for him.


	3. Cuddle Therapy (Donnie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mention of trauma, past abuse, and suicidal thoughts. 
> 
> Donnie comforts the reader.

Donnie had installed monitoring software on everyone’s shell phone, including yours, only to be activated in emergencies.

_Come on bro! I don’t want you watching me watching porn on my phone, that’s gross._

_Mikey…that’s just…ew._

But he needed to upgrade the software, so he initiated the program on the phones when he thought everyone was asleep and their privacy would be respected.

While he was updating, he heard a ping that alerted him a message had been sent from a phone. A green dialogue box popped up on his screen. It came from your phone.

_Hi, I’m interested in cuddle therapy. Is anyone available tonight and what is the rate?_

Huh? What was going on? Cuddle therapy? Was that a code for prostitute? But you wouldn’t, would you? Why would you do something like that? Were you desperate? Lonely?

He searched the number you’d texted and found a website. It seemed legitimate. Various people with backgrounds in counseling and therapy offering to cuddle in a platonic manner as a form of touch therapy. Research did show contact increases certain hormones that alleviate stress and promote relaxation. His head swam with new information and a million questions.

Another ping. He looked back to the other screen.

_Hello! There is no one available tonight on such short notice. We apologize. Our hourly rate is $150/hr and we’d be happy to book a future appointment if your interested._

After a moment, another ping.

_Thanks, some other time perhaps._

The screens were still and the software finished upgrading. From somewhere in his subconscious, an primal instinct screamed at him to get to you as fast as possible. Without hesitation, he grabbed his gear and flew to your window in record time.

You looked asleep, curled up on your side with your stuffed turtle.

_You sleep with a stuffed animal?_

_For your information Donnie, his name is Mr. Turtle and he happens to be a very good cuddler._

But you weren’t asleep, he heard you crying. Without knocking, he opened the window and crawled inside. “Hey.”

You started and sat up, “Donnie?” You eyes were swollen and the tip of your nose bright red.

As you wiped the tears and snot away, Donnie sat in front of you.

“Are you okay?”

You smiled weakly, “Yeah, of course! Just allergies. Don’t worry about me. I’ll go make us some coffee.”

As you stood Donnie reached out and pulled you into his lap. It wasn’t until he felt your body pressed up against his that suddenly his instincts abandoned him. Holy shell, what am I doing? What have I done? I can’t believe I grabbed her like that.

As he opened his mouth to apologize, you threw your arms around his neck and buried your face in his shoulder. Your body seemed to shrink and curl in on itself as you began to sob. He put his arms tightly around you, one hand rubbing your back as he told you everything was going to be okay.

He caught snippets between your breathy gasps and hiccups:

_I couldn’t stop him…_

_I wasn’t strong enough…._

_Then there were others…_

_It was a long time ago but it still hurts…_

_Can’t hug someone without having a panic attack…_

_Haven’t touched another person in years…_

_I’m just so lonely…_

_I’m so scared…_

_I never feel safe…_

_Fights with strangers send me into a depression…_

_I don’t want to go on anymore…_

_I feel trapped…_

_I don’t want to wake up anymore…_

You wept for hours and he never let go, no matter how much he wanted to track all these people down who hurt you and make them suffer unfathomable things. He was a pacifist, not as soft as Mikey, but definitely not violent like Raph or Leo. But hearing all this brought out a black rage that made him want to do unforgivable things and it scared him. He held on because he was scared of what he might do, and because you seemed to be drifting away. If he let go, you might vanish forever.

Eventually, the tears and hiccups stopped. Your breath evened out and there was just the sound of New York outside.

 _Please let me do this right,_ Donnie prayed to whatever higher power looked after mutants. He kissed the top of your head and said, “You’re not alone. Maybe you were before, but you’re not now. I’m here, and you’re safe with me.”

You looked up at him with wide eyes that shimmered like a broken mirror of heartache and despair.

He choked down a sob, and placed one hand on your cheek. He leaned down and slowly kissed you. It was so light and soft, he wasn’t even sure you felt it. He pulled back after a moment but you followed him and kissed him again. Suddenly he was on his back, and you were straddling him. Your hands trailed and explored while your mouth lapped at his like he was the most delicious thing you’d ever tasted. He was swept up in your passion and felt electrified. His hands were touching body parts that he still referred to by medical nomenclature, and for the first time in his life his tongue seemed to prefer a different residence. Starved, hungry. Those words echoed in his mind but he wasn’t sure if his mind was referring to him or you.

After a while, things slowed down and he ended up on his side as the big spoon. He kissed the back of your neck and whispered in your ear, “I love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t brave enough to tell you before now, but I promise to tell you at least a thousand times a day going forward. ”

You lifted your head and looked back at him. Those brown eyes were all for you, taking in everything as if somehow they could deduce your mysteries by studying your molecular structure. Your body suddenly relaxed with a big exhale. Years of tension built up from always looking over your shoulder and pushing out your chest to face the world were exorcised with that one look.

You kissed him, “I love you too, Donnie.”

You both cuddled for the rest of the night. For the first time since you could remember, you felt safe in the arms of another person. 


	4. Smart (Leo and Mikey)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo and Mikey have a heart to heart talk with a little prompting from the reader.

“It was so aggravating. How can you argue for a priori knowledge and claim that analytic concepts exist outside of experience, when the very concepts you’re using are based on experience!”

Leo heard your voice bounce off the lair walls. He opened his eyes and sighed. Something had riled you up in your Philosophy of Mathematics course, and the only way he was going to be able to meditate was to either distract you and quicken the fuse so it burnt itself out. He stood up and began walking over to you.

“For sure dudette! I mean, it’s like that whole “all bachelors are unmarried” thing. You gotta know what the concept of marriage is first of all to know what it is to be unmarried. Then you gotta signify that concept to a particular group of people that’s functionally associative with it.”

Mikey? thought Leo.

“I know! Right? Frege confuses relational systems of logic for the concepts themselves even while he’s arguing for multiple orders of logic to claim that numbers are objects and not just concepts themselves. Ugghhh! I’m just so, so done.”

“Awwww. I know what my cute little viscious Philosoraptor needs. Some double chocolate espresso brownies dipped in fudge and sprinkled with gummy worms.”

Leo rounded the corner and saw Mikey nuzzling you.

You laughed, “That sounds absolutely amazing Mikey. Thanks.” You gave him a peck on the lips and a gentle tug on his mask tails.

“Coming up!” he said and sped out of the room.

You turned, “Oh, hey Leo. What’s up? Sorry, was I too loud again? It’s been a day.”

“Uh…no…it’s fine. Just…Since when does Mikey know anything about philosophy? Or anything about anything?”

“Wow…did you just call Mikey stupid?”

“What! No!”

“Really? Cuz that’s what it sounded like to me. If I said you didn’t know anything, I’m pretty sure you’d be offended.”

Leo opened his mouth to respond, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

You looked away, “I know what y’all think about Mikey. That he’s not smart, constantly making stupid mistakes, and never takes anything seriously. But think about it for a second. Who was the one that figured out where Shredder was holding April hostage last month? Who was the one that found a way into Hun’s hide out unseen? Mikey may not be able to talk poetry with you or science with Donnie, but that’s not because he isn’t smart. It’s just that those things don’t interest him. That’s normal. I don’t think less of you because you’ve never read Thacker’s trilogy of Cosmic Pessimism. Why should you think less of Mikey because he’s goofy and doesn’t care about the same things you do?”

Leo was silent for a moment. “You’re right.” He began to walk towards the kitchen, but stopped. “So…how _did_ you get Mikey interested in philosophy?”

You blushed, “He kept beating me at Mario Kart. So I went into a tirade about ethics and game theory. We argued about gaming structure versus just action, and it kinda grew from there.” You frowned, “I still haven’t won a single game.”

Leo chuckled and went to find Mikey.

Michelangelo was humming as he stirred a giant bowl of thick chocolate batter. He heard his brother coming and said, “Hey bro, sup? Brownies will be ready in about 30 minutes.”

“Thanks. Hey Mikey, I just wanted to say. I know we’re all kinda hard on you from time to time. But you don’t deserve that. If you ever feel like I’m not treating you with respect, please tell me. I think you’re a bright person in many ways, and that you’re an important part of the team.”

Mikey stopped stirring and just stared. After a moment, “Did you accidentally spill tea on one of my comics or something?”

“No! I really mean it. We all have something to contribute to the team, but I think your contributions don’t get the credit they deserve. _You_ don’t get the credit you deserve.” Leo moved closer and put a hand on Mikey’s shoulder. “I proud of you Mikey, you’re an intelligent person who has saved this team multiple times and I feel safer knowing I have you beside me.”

Mikey sniffled and wiped his eyes. He put the bowl and spoon down, and embraced his older brother. “Thanks bro, you don’t know how much it means to me to hear you say that.”

Leo returned the hug, “I’ll be sure to say it more often from now on.”


	5. Sick (Raph)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader comes to the lair sick, and ends up in Raph's bed.

Your feet dragged along the sewer floor as you carried a stack of pizzas. Usually you would carefully pick your way through the debris, but you were sick. You really didn’t want to be down here, and would have sold your best friend to the devil for a warm bed. But you’d promised the turtles pizza, and there was no way you could bail. You had briefly considered calling to explain, but then all you could picture were four lonely turtles with empty stomaches in the bowels of New York. Nope, you would rather catch your death, and the further you walked the more you thought it was a likely possibility.

When you came to the lair, you heard the sound of the turtles training and could just make out Splinter’s voice over the clash of weapons. “Faster Donatello. Raphael, focus your attack. Pay attention Michelangelo. More precision Leonardo.”

You set the pizzas on the counter and laid your head on the counter with a groan. The cool metal felt so good against your fevered skin. Turning to chill your cheek, you noticed the turtles’ beds. Four cement pipes cut in half, lined up against the wall. Each inside its own curtained area. Mikey’s bed overflowed with blankets and pillows, and was surrounded by junk but what he would call “precious artifacts”. Leo’s bed had a single pillow and a thin sheet. A small bookshelf held a few books and a bonsai tree, but the rest of the space was bare. Raph’s bed had a few pillows and a blanket. There was a poster of Vin Diesel on the wall and his clothes littered the floor. You’re pretty sure Donnie never sleeps in his bed, because it’s filled with random equipment and parts.

Just a quick nap, you think to yourself. It sounded like they’d be at it for awhile and you couldn’t hold yourself up for much longer. Surely they wouldn’t mind. You walked over and slipped into Raph’s bed. But the fever and aches wouldn’t let you sleep. You tossed and turned. Without thinking, you took off your clothes. As soon as the cool air hit your skin, you fell asleep.

After another hour, the turtles come out to find you.

“Oh my gosh, the smell of pizza has been driving me insane. Dudes, I didn’t think I was gonna last much longer,” said Mikey.

“You gotta be sane to go insane shell-for-brains,” replied Raph.

“Takes one to know one,” quipped Mikey as he ducked Raph’s arm.

“Hello? Where’d she go?” Leo looked around.

“I’ll check the cameras,” said Donnie. As he made his way to the lab, he passed the beds and noticed you. “Um, guys?”

They filed over and stared. There was a girl. A semi-naked girl. In the lair. In one of their beds. OH MY GOD!

“Duuddddessss, this is the best night of my life. I think I’m in love. Yup, definitely in love. Gonna propose to her as soon as she wakes up,” whispered Mikey as he hovered over you.

Raph’s hand twitched. In the back of his mind, he knew that Mikey deserved to be swatted. But he couldn’t take his eyes of you. He couldn’t move.

“Michelangelo!” hissed Leo. “She’s our friend. Have some respect.”

Donnie walked to the bed side and gently grabbed the blanket to cover you. But his fingers brushed against your burning skin, and that’s when he noticed how flushed you look. The sweat dripping from your body, your labored breathing.

Panic set in and he immediately checked your vitals. His brothers sensed the change.

“What’s wrong with my coffee cake? Is she gonna be okay? She can’t die before we get married!” cried Mikey.

“Shut it Mikey, let Donnie work,” said Raph as pushed his younger brother out of the way. But he was just as worried as Mikey. He tried to keep calm. You were okay. Even if you weren’t, Donnie would make you okay.

“Temperature 102 Fahrenheit, pulse 96, blood pressure 125 over 79, pale skin, puffy face, pasty complexion…” Donnie rambled.

“What does that mean Donnie?” Leo cut his brother off.

“She has a cold,” Donnie replied as he finished texting April a list of things to bring to the lair. They were mutants, they never got sick and you were in desperate need of medication.

Leo was already thinking of the lecture he was going to give you when Donnie’s phone beeped. “April will be here in 30 minutes,” Donnie said as he began tucking you in. “Leo, go get a bowl of cold water and a small towel. Mikey, go get a glass of water and some Gatorade. And yes, I know you have a secret stash. Just go. Raph, stay here and keep an eye on her. I need to go to do some more research.”

In less than a second, Raph was alone with you. He swallowed hard and looked down at your tiny form. If he wasn’t so worried, he would have laughed at how ridiculously small you looked in his massive bed. He leaned down and put his hand on your forehead. His cool, scaly skin eased the pain and you groaned. Your eyes opened slightly, “Raph?”

“Hey Tiger, just rest. April will be here soon and then Donnie can fix you up.”

“I’m sorry,” you slurred. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your bed.”

“Any time you want in my bed Tiger, you don’t even gotta ask,” replied Raph. You were too feverish to notice the way he looked at you, and had already fallen back asleep. He watched as your body naturally drifted towards his cooler temperature, and you curled yourself around his arm. His heart seemed to echo across the lair, and as his brothers began to make their way back he realized he wanted to kiss you.

 


	6. Laundry (Leo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo helps the reader with laundry.

The turtles had moved in with you a few weeks ago after their lair got trashed by the Shredder, again. They had moved so many times this year, and you just wanted them to have a permanent home – to feel safe. So you opened yours to them. At first, there were a lot of refusals and worries about your safety. But they finally relented after an Academy Award winning performance.

“But what if you die! What if the next time y’all aren’t so lucky? You’re really gonna leave me all alone just because of pride?” Even Splinter caved once you started the water works.

It had been some adjustment. You were single and had lived alone most of your life. Now you had 5 mutants living with you. But they were on their best behavior, even Mikey had stopped burping the alphabet even time he drank soda. They even pitched in with chores.

You had just pulled the laundry out of the dryer and were on your way to your room when Leo came around the corner.

“Oh, here. Let me help you with that,” he said as he reached for the basket.

You hugged it closer, “No, thanks. It’s okay.”

“I know how to fold if that’s what your worried about. And I promise I won’t giggle like Mikey when he saw your Harley Quinn underwear.”

You laughed, “It’s not that. It’s just…well, there is this thing I do with warm laundry.”

He just stared at you.

You sighed, “Fine, follow me.”

He followed you into your bedroom and you shut the door. He was rigid and very still, and you realized he’d never been in your room. None of them had. It was your space, and it was a girl’s room. Aside from April, you were the only other female they knew. This was alien territory.

You put the laundry basket down by your bed and pulled back the covers. “Go ahead, get in.”

He looked at you, then at the bed, and finally back at you again. When you didn’t budge, he slowly walked to your bed and laid down. You got in next to him and asked, “Ready?”

He had been staring at the ceiling and looked like he was about to bolt for the door. But before he could move or respond, you picked up the basket and dumped the warm clothes all over you both, then pulled up the covers.

Warmth spread over your entire body and every tension melted away. A drowsiness settled in, and though you wanted to ask Leo what he thought about cocooning you were too tired. So you just snuggled deeper into the warm burrow and drifted to sleep.

You don’t know how long you were out, but you slowly come to an awareness that you were up against something hard and rough. Opening your eyes, you saw Leo asleep. You had wormed your way into his side and nestled.

While you were wondering what you should do, you heard a camera phone click.

“Oh my god, this is so precious. This is gonna be my screen saver for the next hundred years.”

Mikey stood beside the bed with the biggest grin on his face, “Ya know bro, it’s bad form to jump into bed like this. She hasn’t even taken you out on a date yet.”

“Mikey…you have three seconds…,” said Leo.

“Eep!” yelled Mikey and he was gone.

You looked back at Leo who was wide awake.

He glanced at you and blushed, “Um…this was fun. Thanks. It was nice…and warm.”

“Any time Leo, I’m always here if you need to get warm. Or just cuddle.”

You gave him a quick peck on the cheek and pulled back the covers. “Now the not-so-fun part, folding and putting everything away.”

He got up and couldn’t hide the smile on his face, nor take his eyes off you. Laundry was his new favorite chore.


	7. Heart (Raph)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raph helps train the reader with a heart condition.

_Whack, whack, whack._ Each time your fist made contact with the punching bag, it felt like your heart was going to explode. With your heart defect, it might. But you weren’t going to let Raph know, even if it did kill you.

He’d been wary when you first met. You were much smaller than him, and only the third human he’d ever had a conversation with. He’d been impressed that you were a dancer and a martial artist, it’s not exactly the most common combination of careers. When you suggested that you two train together, he hesitantly agreed. More out of curiosity than an actual need for a training partner. With a father as a teacher and three brothers as his fellow students, he valued his training time alone. But you were new, and cute. So he agreed.

“Come on shorty, that all ya got? I swat flies harder than that,” he said.

You put more force into each punch, and felt the room start to spin. “I’m gonna . . . punch through . . .this bag, and . . . then you’re gonna . . .start crying . . .that I messed up . . .your favorite toy,” you wheezed. Breathing became harder as your chest began to constrict.

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Keep your elbow in, don’t hunch so much when you throw. Keep your eyes up,” he coached.

You tried to focus on what he was saying, but your face felt like it was on fire and your heart felt like it had the worst case of hiccups. It was more like someone was kicking you irregularly in the chest.

You threw a punch and missed the bag entirely. Expecting to hit a solid object but instead hitting air threw off your balance, and you fell forward.

Raph caught you and laid you down on the floor. He left and in a moment came back with a cold towel for your head. You couldn’t talk and were gasping for air like a fish. You wanted so much to apologize, to make excuses, but you couldn’t get in enough air as tears streamed down your face.

“It’s okay, don’t talk. Geez, I thought you’d tap out before you pushed yourself too far. Shoulda known your pride would win out, you’re just as bad as Leo. ‘Course, he don’t have a heart condition.”

Your eyes widened.

“Yeah, I knew. Donnie figured it out and came to me when he found out we were gonna start training. I wanted you to tell me, but I guess you thought dying was the better option.”

You whimpered.

“Look, I know this has gotta be hard for you. You probably got doctors telling you to take it easy, coaches telling you to go harder, and all you wanna do is win. But you ain’t gonna get there by dropping dead. You’re strong, you know it and I know it. You can do this, but you gotta be smart about it and go at your own pace. Come on, how many stories have you told Mikey about stupid guys that do anything for gold and glory only to have it bite them in their ass?”

You laughed through your sniffles.

“So let’s come up with a plan. Alright? Just cuz your ticker is throwing a fit, that don’t mean your career is over. Just means there’s a little extra planning involved. ‘Kay?”

You nodded. “Thanks Raph,” you whispered and rolled onto your side so that you could cuddle close to him.

“N…no problem,” he stuttered. Why did his heart suddenly feel like it was about to leap out of his chest?


	8. TP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The reader has a toilet paper problem.

The turtles have been living with you for a while. All in all, things were pretty chill with the occasional crisis. Like now.

“Who didn’t refill the toilet paper!” you screamed at the top of your lungs.

“Sorry mini-muffin!” you heard Mikey echo back from somewhere.

A moment later the handle to the bathroom door jiggled. “I snagged one from the pantry, open up so I can hand it to you.”

“I can’t get up! That’s gross, I'll dribble everywhere.”

Raph chimed in, “Then it looks like you’re up shit creek.” You could hear his grin through the door. 

“Ugghh!” you growled.

“Hang on, I have an idea,” said Donnie.

About three minutes later you heard the door lock being picked.

God, please let this all be a dream you thought. Please don’t let them see me half naked on the toilet with my panties around my ankles. The door opened a bit, and Donnie’s remote control car whirred in with the toilet paper roll on top.

You heaved a sigh of relief, “Thanks Donnie, that was a great id…is that a camera? Is it on!”

“Oops!”

“Way to go.”

“Egg head.”

“I’m gonna kill all four of you as soon as I get up!”

“What! Why me?” whined Leo indignantly from afar.

“Guilty by association!”


	9. Cuddles (Mikey)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cuddling with Mikey after a bad day.

You’ve been staring at your phone for twenty minutes, debating whether or not to text Mikey. The two of you had become close friends ever since you saved him from the Foot. You have a habit of walking late at night. After a long day, nothing cleared your head like walking. You agreed with Thoreau that it was a high art form. So you’d be lost in your head and would wind up in the strangest, sometimes most dangerous, parts of New York.

On that particular night, you’d somehow ended up in a warehouse district and were pulled out of your thoughts by sounds of fighting and metal hitting metal. You peered through a dirty, broken window and saw a giant turtle fighting seven ninjas. Huh, you didn’t see that kinda stuff back in Texas. He was injured and slowly losing the fight. You couldn’t walk away. Not only was it not a fair fight, but turtles were your favorite animal. He was also pretty cute. So you crawled through a hole in the wall and did what every 90s cartoon taught you to do. Push crates on top of unsuspecting bad guys. You only knocked out two, but it was enough to give the turtle the advantage and come out on top. You were crawling away when you heard, “Leaving so soon Dudette? I thought we could team up. Turtle Titan could use a skillful and sexy sidekick!” You’ve been friends ever since.

Just thinking of Mikey made you smile. He had a way of brightening up the world around him. Even Raph couldn’t suppress a smile when Mikey turned on his charm full blast. You could really use that right now. It had been a terrible day on top of a terrible week that brought up painful memories from your past. All you wanted was to be held and comforted. You needed physical contact with another person. A stable thing in the world to anchor you in the storm. You were sinking fast and needed help.

“Hey Mikey, wanna come over and cuddle?” you texted.

“Does a turtle eat pizza? Be there is 10!” he texted seconds later.

You waited on the couch, and as the minutes ticked by you become more nervous. What were you thinking! This was a bad idea. Maybe you should text him back. The thought of being emotional open and vulnerable made you feel sick. Friends just hang out and have fun, they don’t cry on each other. Right? But your thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the window.

You opened it and Mikey jumped through, scooping you up in a big hug. “This is the best day ever! Do you know how long I’ve waited to cuddle? My whole life!”

He set you down, and when he got a good look at you the smile faded from his face. “What’s wrong dudette? What happened?”

“Oh…nothing…I just…” you started with trembling lips, but couldn’t even finish. You burst into tears and threw yourself at Mikey. He caught you and held you tight, taking a seat on the couch and holding you in his lap. He stroked your hair and rocked you. In between your barely intelligible sentences, he would whisper things like “It’s okay. Everything will be alright. I have you.”

When you quieted down, he picked you up and took you to the bedroom. He pulled back the bedspread and laid you down, then crawled beside you and tucked you both in. You curled your body into his and he held you all night. Neither of you said a word, but it didn’t matter. He was there, and he said everything with his body. His hand stroking your back. His cheek rubbing against your hair. Gentle kisses on your forehead. The way his warmth seeped into your cold body. Just being there dissipated the clouds circling in your head. He was the sun burning brightly, he was life.

Your mind moved in and out of sleep, and you weren’t sure what time it was. “Mikey?” you mumbled.

“Yes, my precious pineapple?”

“I love you.”

He tilted your head up and looked into your sleepy eyes. “I love you, too” he said and gently kissed you. “I was wrong though. The best day of my life is gonna be tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after that…”

You smiled as sleep finally took you. Your last thought was how much you wanted to cuddle with Michelangelo for the rest of your life.


	10. Singularity (Donnie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie is a force unlike any other, and you are drawn in.

Donnie’s tongue stuck out slightly as he concentrated. He was soldering something, and you knew he needed to focus. But he was just so adorable. You wanted to nibble on that little part of his tongue and kiss his lips. You wanted to throw yourself at him and be tangled up with those muscular limbs. You wanted to…

He laughed and put down the soldering iron. “You know, if you leered at me any harder you might burn a hole through me.”

You blushed and looked away, “I wasn’t leering! I was just observing,” you said defensively. Then added quietly, “Maybe admiring a little.”

He pulled your chair closer and kissed you on the forehead, “It’s alright. I love it when you leer. It makes me feel, I don’t know, wanted. Like I’m desirable. Like I’m special.”

You looked back and touched his cheek, “Donnie, you are special. And desirable, and a million other things. I can’t help the way I feel about you. It’s like a gravitational force pulling me in. At first, it was terrifying. It was so new and I’d never felt anything like it. But then, the closer I got the more I couldn’t resist. I love you Donnie.”

His breathed hitched and his eyes shimmered. Kneeling down, he kissed you and you moaned. Wasting no time, you nibbled on that tongue you’d been eyeing for the past hour. His arms encircled you, and your body pressed up against his hard carapace. You’d never hated clothes more than you did now. You climbed onto his lap and your hands massaged his shoulders and biceps, appreciatively squeezing as your lips hungrily drank him in.

“Eh hem!” Mikey cleared his throat from the doorway.

You squeaked and fell backward, but Donnie caught you before you hit the floor.

“So…pizza’s here.”

“Thanks Mikey,” Donnie said tightly with anything but thanks.

Mikey walked away as Donnie set you down. He kissed you on the cheek, “To be continued. I’d hate to leave you admiring from afar. Perhaps I could arrange an inspection close up, and we can find out what happens when you reach the singularity.”

You blushed as he gave you a broad, knowing smile. Taking your hand, he steered you to the kitchen. Before you arrived, he whispered “You’ve always been the center of my universe. I love you.”

Leo looked up as you both walked in, and stared at you. “Are you alright? You’re red and flushed. Is it too hot? Usually you’re cold down here,” he said.

“Oh, she’s hot alright,” quipped Mikey. “Ow! Raph, it was just a statement of fact. Or a compliment. Or something.”

“Shell for brains,” said Raph.

“I’m okay, thanks Leo. It was just a little warm in the lab with the soldering iron,” you said as you looked at Donnie.


	11. Cold (Leo)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo finds reader in a bath of ice. 
> 
> Warnings: Angst, suicide attempt, self-harm

**Warnings: Angst, suicide attempt, self-harm**

 

Leo jerked awake and cried out. Sweat dripped off his body, but he felt cold. Icy cold. He got up and checked on his family but everyone was sound asleep. He checked the security system-nothing. By this time, he started to shiver. He texted Casey, and both he and April were fine. Now he was shaking. He called you, but received no answer. Every cell in his body told him to run. Through tunnels and over buildings, by the time he reached your apartment his teeth were chattering.

He entered without knocking on the window, “Hello!” It was dark and there was no response. A light emanated from underneath the bathroom door, and as he approached he heard your phone alarm going off. Leo crashed through the door, and saw you asleep in the bathtub.

“Wake up!” he screamed as he pulled you up. When his hands hit the water, that’s when he noticed how blue you were. That’s when he noticed the ice floating in the water.

“Please, no, no, no, no!” he cried and carried you to the bedroom. He covered you in blankets and called Donnie.

“Don’t try to heat her up or rub her extremities. It’s important to dry her first. Keep her torso warm and wrap her in dry blankets. If she regains consciousness and can swallow, try to give her hot sugar water to drink. I’ve already called the ambulance and I’m on my way.”

He no longer felt cold, but he was still shaking. “Please, don’t leave. Please…” Leo dried you and then put you in your favorite sweater. The old, faded one with rainbow turtles that Mikey had given you years ago for your birthday. “So it’s like we’re always with you mini-muffin!” He wrapped you in blankets and hugged you, unsure if his reptilian body was stealing warmth or giving it. He knew he should go because the ambulance would arrive any minute. But he couldn’t let you go. What if it was the last time he saw you? The last time he held you?

Tears slide off his face and landed on you. Their warmth stirred something and you followed them back from the cold. When you opened your eyes, there was so much you wanted to say but your tongue wouldn’t work. “Le…sss…sor…ove..ygh…cold…”

“Stay awake, please stay with me. Please!” Leo cried. Sirens approached, and putting you down was the hardest thing he had ever done. He watched as they broke down your front door and rushed inside. He heard Donnie land next to him and neither said a word. Minutes later the paramedics exited with your limp body on a stretcher. You were so still, and so pale.

They followed the ambulance to the hospital and sat for hours on the building across the street as Donnie tried to gather information from the hospital’s computer system.

“She’s in critical condition, but she’ll make it. They don’t know how long she was hypothermic. They’ll need to determine if there was neural damage or necrosis of tissue.”

Leo uttered a cry and fell down to his knees. Donnie encircled his older brother in his arms and held him close as sobs tore through his body.

“Why? I don’t understand. What happened?” Leo asked.

Donnie was quiet for a moment and fingered his bo belt -a nervous habit. Keeping his eyes on the ground, he said “Ice baths are a common means of self-harm. Cutting, while more common, leaves scars and is more difficult to hide. The alarm indicts that she wanted to endure it for a specified amount of time or that she knew there was a danger of falling asleep. Or maybe both. It’s possible she fell asleep in the bath and just slept through the alarm.”

“But why! Why would she want to harm herself? It doesn’t make sense! None of this makes sense Donnie!” Leo stood and paced, stopping to look at the ER below then to resume pacing.

“I don’t know Leo. There is probably some trauma involved and a lot of things we don’t know.” Donnie stepped in front of his older brother, and gentled placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders. “But I do know that she needs us. She needs you.”

Leo looked defeated and just stared at his feet. “Why didn’t she come to me?,” he whispered. “Why didn’t she tell me something was wrong?”

Donnie replied, “She may have felt shame, or that she would be putting a burden on you. We won’t know until we talk to her. For now, we have to wait.”

They didn’t talk after that. Just sat watching the people coming in and out of the building. Some walking silently, some talking on the phone. A few were even laughing. Others were running or screaming, like their lives were over. Maybe for some of them, or their loved ones, they were.

Just before the sun came up, Donnie pulled a reluctant Leo away. April had shown up and promised to call as new information was made available.

You woke up the next day, and the doctors said you’d make a full recovery. There was a lot of paperwork and referrals to mental health services. Aside from a few “yes”s and “no”s you hadn’t said much, and April didn’t want to push you.

She took you home and stayed with you until night fell. The moment the sun dipped below the horizon, there was a knock on your window.

“She’s in bed. I haven’t let her up unless she had to pee,” April said with a small, tired smile.

Leo nodded and gently squeezed her shoulder with thanks. Then he entered your bedroom.

You were sitting up and staring at a stuffed turtle in your lap. He had given it to you for Christmas last year. “It’s a Hawksbill! Did you know their shells change color depending on water temperature?” He smiled at the memory. You were so excited and alive. You went on for another 10 minutes until Raph made a comment about you hanging around Donnie too much. You’d thrown a sofa cushion at Raph. Later that night before you left the lair, you’d given him a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks Leo, something to keep me warm at night.” It was hard to see you now. You seemed so small, so empty.

You looked up when he closed the door, and you two just stared at each other.

Finally you broke the silence. “Leo…I…I’m so sorry. That you had to see that, and go through that because of me,” you whispered. New tears burned their way down your cheeks. Why were they so hot when you felt so cold on the inside?

He closed the distanced and pulled you into him. Warm, he was so warm. A surprise. “No, you have nothing to be sorry about. I…I know this isn’t about me, but…I just,” his voice cracked. “If you had gone, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I’m here for you. I…” He took a breath, “I love you. You don’t have to do this on your own. Please, please trust me. I know you can get through this, and I just want to be there every step of the way. If you stumble, I’ll help you up.”

You stopped breathing and looked up. Red lines spidered his eyes and dark bags hung underneath. But more than that, there was an intensity born of compassion, patience, and love. All towards you.

You stretched up, and he leaned down. His lips were softer than you thought they’d be, and suddenly the cold retreated. As if sunrise had pushed away all the darkness by its warmth, and with that warmth came hope. A chance to heal.

“Leo, you’re so warm,” you murmured and curled your body into his.

He pulled you further into his lap and wrapped a blanket around you both as he held onto you. The warmth settled over you and soon you started to drift to sleep.

“I love you, Leo,” you said before succumbing.

Leo kissed your forehead, “I love you too.”


End file.
